Sales Readiness Archives

Reinventing the Digital Sales Training Playbook – Five Critical Success Factors

by Diane Burgess-Faber

In the world of communications training, 2021 was a pivotal year. We saw tremendous growth in the sophistication of digital training environments, as companies adopted digital approaches to deliver exceptional learner experiences that help their workforces succeed.

by Diane Burgess-Faber

Change Management, Digital Transformation, Sales Readiness, Selling Skills

Go Big: Plan Your Own High-Impact Virtual SKO

by Karen Bintz

Sales kickoffs (SKOs) serve many purposes, not the least of which is to motivate and inspire your customer-facing teams. A successful SKO arms your sales teams with new and refreshed skills. They leave the SKO energized to engage with customers and win upcoming opportunities.

by Karen Bintz

In-Person Presentations, Sales Readiness, Sales Training, SCIPAB, Selling Skills, Virtual Presentations

Welcome to the Future of Sales (Hint: It’s Virtual)

by Heather Muir

Virtual selling is business as usual today—and in the future. Find out why that’s great for your business—and how your salespeople can really set your company apart from the competition.

by Heather Muir

Sales Readiness, Sales Training, Virtual Collaboration, Virtual Meetings

The Irresistible Power of Stories in Virtual Selling

by Michael Albert

What does the hit on Netflix called The Queen’s Gambit tell us about how to sell in a virtual setting? Actually, something very important. Before we break down how this show teaches us the key to virtual selling let’s look at the backstory.

by Michael Albert

Communication Skills, Presentation Skills, Sales Readiness, Sales Training, Storytelling

The Top Sales Skill for 2021!

by Allison O'Brien

Sales professionals need a mix of soft skills to be successful. While rapport building is often considered the top sales skill, listening is the most critical skill for closing sales, and building long-term client relationships. Learn 3 crucial tips to closing sales, and why listening is the top sales skill of 2021.

by Allison O'Brien

Listening Skills, Sales Readiness, Sales Training, Selling Skills, Soft Skills

Because Executive Briefings & Meetings Don’t Run Themselves

by Kelly Reeves

Executive briefings. Big sales meetings. Project pitch meetings. What do they have in common? The stakes are sky high. There’s a lot riding on them for you and your company — revenue, reputation, productivity. Do your people have, both, the presentation AND facilitation skills to ensure their success? Read the blog to find out and to get your free Discussion Leader Self-Assessment Tool and Facilitator Checklist.

by Kelly Reeves

Briefing Center, Presentation Skills, Presenting to Executives, Sales Readiness, Selling Skills

Are Extroverts Really Better at Building Rapport Than Introverts?

by Heather Muir

How do you feel about building rapport? Many introverts feel uncomfortable when it comes to rapport-building because they think it means having to make “small talk” with others. If that’s you, fear not. You don't need the gift of gab to build good rapport. And having the gift of gab (or being extroverted) doesn't guarantee success either — especially if you're the one doing most of the talking. Read the blog to get specific rapport-building tips anyone can use to quickly make a strong connection with others.

by Heather Muir

Communication Skills, Conversation Skills, Sales Readiness, Soft Skills

Questions I Wish I’d Asked (How to Improve Sales Conversations)

by Diane Burgess-Faber

What’s the secret to wildly productive first-time sales meetings or conversations with executives? Thought-provoking questions. Read the blog to find out why—and how to tell if YOUR questions are thought-provoking enough to make customers want to learn more.

by Diane Burgess-Faber

Conversation Skills, Influencing Skills, Sales Readiness, Selling Skills

World Class Communication Really is a Marathon

by Kathleen Redd

What does it take to transform smart and skilled subject matter experts into world-class communicators? Consistent practice and application of these three principles. Read the blog to learn what they are. With training and persistence, anyone can become a world-class communicator—someone who is able to move ideas, decisions, projects, relationships, and businesses forward.

by Kathleen Redd

Briefing Center, Conversation Skills, Messaging Skills, Presentation Skills, Sales Readiness, Technical Professionals

Think Before You Speak: Engineering the First 60 Seconds of Conversation

by David Mears

Securing an initial conversation with decision makers is tougher than ever. When you do finally get someone's attention or time, the first 60 seconds of your interaction are critical. Which is precisely why it's so important to think before you speak. To get the results you want, you must be intentional about how you engineer the first minute of your conversation. Read the blog to learn more.

by David Mears

Conversation Skills, Messaging Skills, Presenting to Executives, Sales Readiness

3 Tips to Help Salespeople Generate Higher Margins

by David Mears

Could your salespeople be eroding profit margins through excessive discounting? Or through unnecessary product, service, or contractual give-aways? Margin erosion usually stems from the failure to establish differentiated value early in the sales process. Here are 3 tips you can use to turn margin erosion into margin generation.

by David Mears

Sales Readiness, Sales Training, Selling Skills

Are Your Sales Reps Failing to “ROI Justify” Their Proposals?

by David Mears

When prospective buyers ask sales reps to justify ROI, it's typically NOT because of a lack of data or information about your products and services. Rather, it's because they haven't quite fully bought into your sales messaging or your messenger. Read on to learn what customers are really thinking when they ask for ROI justification, and what your reps can do differently.

by David Mears

Sales Readiness, Sales Training, Selling Skills

In Sales, Content Delivery Is King

by David Mears

You've probably heard the expression, "Content is king." And, it's likely your company has spent a lot of money creating content that supports successful selling. But even the world's greatest message or content will fail to persuade if your sales reps can't deliver it effectively. When it comes to sales performance, here's why content delivery is king.

by David Mears

Executive Presence, Sales Readiness, Sales Training, Selling Skills

Mismanaged Meetings: Stop Wasting Scarce Executive Time

by David Mears

Executive time is a scarce commodity. Why do meetings squander it? Because, too often, they fail to focus on the strategic issues that are most important to executives. They fail to drive progress on the decisions that need to be made in order to move your business forward. Here are 3 things you can do to change that and to insure your executives' time is well-spent.

by David Mears

Conversation Skills, In-Person Presentations, Presentation Skills, Presenting to Executives, Sales Readiness, Selling Skills

A Leading Cause of Pipeline Mortality

by David Mears

Your company, like most, probably invests in sales training that helps team members become more consultative, insight-driven, assertive, and challenging in their approach. But, none of that training addresses a leading cause of pipeline mortality. This week, find out what could be causing your sales opportunities to die prematurely and what you can do about it.

by David Mears

Presentation Skills, Sales Readiness, Selling Skills

How to Build Customer Intimacy One Conversation at a Time

by Kathleen Redd

I walked away from last month’s Association of Briefing Program Managers (ABPM) annual spring conference more convinced than ever that customer intimacy is the key to customer loyalty. Let me explain why, and also what you can do to build longer-lasting, more satisfying relationships with your customers.

by Kathleen Redd

Collaboration Skills, Conversation Skills, Sales Readiness, Selling Skills, Teaming

Can Your Sales Team Get Executive Buyers to Say Yes?

by David Mears

Executives today are making or influencing more and more buying decisions (especially when it comes to technology). Is your sales team ready to engage executives in conversations about the business challenges that keep them up at night? This is where traditional sales training fails. Here’s how you can fix it.

by David Mears

Conversation Skills, Executive Presence, Sales Readiness, Selling Skills

Bring Back the Art of Listening

by Kathleen Redd

Let's face it. We're losing the ability to listen in this always-on, multi-tasking world. And, we're paying a price for it. When we fail to listen well, we miss vital info, misinterpret messages, or even damage our relationships with others. But, still, there have always been those special people who seem to have a natural gift for knowing how to make you feel heard. People like Grandma Hendrickson. Here's how she practices the gracious art of listening...and how you can, too.

by Kathleen Redd

Conversation Skills, Executive Presence, Sales Readiness

Where’s the Fire in Your Belly?

by Steve Mandel

When you present to senior executives, you expect scrutiny. You know they'll be evaluating whether what you have to say is of value to them. But, there's something else they're looking for from you.... And, it's further proof that when the stakes are high, both what you say AND how you say it can make all the difference.

by Steve Mandel

Conversation Skills, Executive Presence, Messaging Skills, Presenting to Executives, Sales Readiness, Selling Skills

How to Build (and Avoid Breaking) Rapport

by Steve Mandel

When you break rapport, you've communicated that you don't have your listener's best interests at heart. And when that happens, you lose your ability to keep his or her attention or to influence his or her thinking. So this week, I thought I’d focus on ways people break rapport and how to avoid them.

by Steve Mandel

Conversation Skills, Executive Presence, Sales Readiness

What if Your Salesforce Asked Better Questions?

by Brad Holst

By asking better questions, your sales team can engage in stimulating and productive customer conversations. A recent book demonstrated how a lesson from the elementary classroom applies to Fortune 1000 sales executives.

by Brad Holst

Conversation Skills, In-Person Presentations, Presentation Skills, Presenting to Executives, Sales Readiness, Selling Skills

INSIGHTS

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